AMC neuropsychology salary negotiation

[bcliff]

I'm an early career neuropsychologist in the process of negotiating a faculty position at an AMC. This position is mostly clinical, but I am planning to prioritize building a research program, and this institution has the infrastructure necessary to help me do that. The clinical-research split reflects this interest of mine, and their investment in me reaching my own professional goals. I have not been offered anything in terms of startup funds or lab space, though. For context, this is an R1 institution on the short list of institutions with the most NIH funding. ETA: I am (importantly) not bringing any funding with me, which limits my leverage.

I'm a little concerned because the initial base salary offer is the median for neuropsychologists at my stage of career per the 2020 AACN salary survey. I've been told that's the benchmark from which this institution bases their neuropsychologists' salaries. I'm concerned because that figure has around $20k less buying power in 2023 than it did in 2020. I've also been told that there are no annual CoL / inflation adjustments to salary. I asked about negotiating around base salary in an earlier meeting and was told that there's no option to negotiate, so it doesn't seem particularly helpful to ask again... Unless that's standard practice.

There are a lot of things I really like and am drawn to about this position, but I would appreciate feedback from this forum on ways to negotiate around this important piece of the puzzle. In terms of other compensation, there is good professional development funding from the department (around 4% of base salary) and incentives for boarding (around a 3% bump in pay for ABPP). Productivity expectations are reasonable, and I have full psychometrist support. Bonus / incentive pay for exceeding those reasonable clinical expectations is pretty solid, too. This position is in a relatively low CoL metropolitan area. There is a generous sign on bonus and relocation allowance (around 20% of base salary). The retirement match is also quite generous. I can work closely with my populations of interest and do work I find meaningful and enjoyable. I've also really liked everyone that I've met throughout the interview process. There will be a raise once I make associate, but there is no time limit in which I have to go up for promotion, which I suppose is both a positive and a negative -- Regardless, total compensation, I'm sure, exceeds that inflation-adjusted 2020 figure by a good bit, but I don't think that's what that item on salary survey is getting at.

All of that to say: I'm not too worried about this one piece of the job negotiation but would like to avoid starting $20k in the hole relative to 2020 in terms of buying power if possible. Thoughts? I mentioned that no startup funds have been offered, but this is a mostly clinical position, so I'm not sure what is feasible in terms of negotiating around that. Other avenues worth exploring?

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[borne_before]

Your initial contract sets the scope and tone for your job. If the lab/startup isn’t in your contract it probably won’t be part of your job. This is perhaps the most power you’ll have for a long time. It take years to develop the referential/legitimate power required to get other changes.

They’ll whisper a lot of promises - but your contract tells you a ton about culture and the scope of the job.

Personally, they have had three years to do an updated salary study. I’d hit them hard about the 20% thing, expecting to get a 10-15 inflation adjustment.

But also, how is cost of living? Not all places have been hit equally as hard.

 

[WisNeuro]

Your initial contract sets the scope and tone for your job. If the lab/startup isn’t in your contract it probably won’t be part of your job. This is perhaps the most power you’ll have for a long time. It take years to develop the referential/legitimate power required to get other changes.

They’ll whisper a lot of promises - but your contract tells you a ton about culture and the scope of the job.

Personally, they have had three years to do an updated salary study. I’d hit them hard about the 20% thing, expecting to get a 10-15 inflation adjustment.

But also, how is cost of living? Not all places have been hit equally as hard.

Salary survey comes out about every 5 years from AACN, so I'd expect to see the call for updated responses in the next year-ish, with the publication coming out the following year. Honestly, the AACN salary survey is going to be far more favorable than if you insist on the hospital system using updated private industry surveys, even if its using 4-5 year old data.

I'd also factor in total compensation vs. simply salary. A job that is slightly lower in salary, but offers well above average benefits (PTO, retirements, good insurance, etc) can be far better than a job with a higher salary but worse benefits. Sometimes incredibly so, once you convert those benefits to dollar figures, which you should do.

Unfortunately, inflation doesn't really count for **** here. Our reimbursements from payor sources do not have inflationary increases (see CMS reimbursements), and if anything, they will be substantially lower given CMS changes this year to the conversion factor. So, from a bottom line, as a clinical neuropsychologist, you make that organization less, for the same amount of work, than someone did 5 years ago. It sucks, but them's the breaks.

That being said, I'd still try to negotiate for as high a salary as you can swing, but if everything else is as good as you are implying, I may not play hardball per se if I really wanted this job.

 

[bcliff]

Your initial contract sets the scope and tone for your job. If the lab/startup isn’t in your contract it probably won’t be part of your job. This is perhaps the most power you’ll have for a long time. It take years to develop the referential/legitimate power required to get other changes.

Agree - My thinking, though, is that things will change once I bring in my own funding. I'm not too worried about lack of startup funds / space to get some of the initial grants I have in mind submitted. I have a good record of maintaining my own funding but have been all clinical most recently. Having those resources, though, would probably help, but likely not in a make-or-break kind of way. If this were not a faculty position at a major university / medical school, I might feel more concerned about this. I have about 1/3 of my time supported by the department for administrative and research work, which is more than had initially been mentioned and was the most important piece in the negotiation process for me. ETA: I have access to assistance on the research / grants administration side of things.

They’ll whisper a lot of promises - but your contract tells you a ton about culture and the scope of the job.

Agree - I haven't seen a contract or formal offer letter yet. There are other neuropsychology faculty in the department, at least, supported heavily by a mix of their own and other faculty grants, which is reassuring.

Personally, they have had three years to do an updated salary study. I’d hit them hard about the 20% thing, expecting to get a 10-15 inflation adjustment.

AACN salary survey comes out every five years; next one will presumably come out in 2025/26.

But also, how is cost of living? Not all places have been hit equally as hard.

It's pretty low - Median single family home price is $250k in a metro area with around 3mil people in a part of the country I have a soft spot for. Like I said, I'm not that worried but do want to make sure I'm being assertive enough in this process.

 

[Freud’sMommy]

Use other job offers as leverage. If no other offers on the table, I wonder if you could ask for other intangibles unrelated to salary but would improve your job? You could also try asking again in 2-3 years, hopefully with new job offers in hand and a couple grants under your belt.

 

[ClinicalABA]

If you definitely have the job, ask for what you think is fair, plus a little bit more to give you some wiggling room in negotiations. Don't be ask for stupid stuff that's not typical (e.g., company vehicle; private secretary), but ask for what you think you will need to a) do the job effectively; and b) live comfortably now and in the future. If there is no negotiation and they agree to everything you asked for without saying no to anything, you have not done a good job of negotiating!

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I think asking for some type of bump to counter inflation is reasonable, but as Wis said, unfortunately, they aren't getting paid any more now for your services than they were 3 years ago (and they may in fact soon be making less). You may have better luck, as others have said, in terms of potentially negotiating non-salary benefits. Are they willing to come up at all on the signing bonus, or the productivity bonus for exceeding expectations? Any wiggle room in PTO? Able to bump some of those CE funds so you can basically use that money to take your family on a vacation during a conference? Etc.

 

[smalltownpsych]

Second everything that has been said. Negotiate hard, but friendly and fair. “Love the job and ready to sign on the dotted line but I want to make sure that this works for me and my family in the long run.” Negotiation is a little hard for us because you have to be a bit incongruent to do it as well as the suits do. Lots of obsequiousness with a hidden layer of steel.